This is England (Final Montage and Closing Sequence)
Narrative Overview:
After Combo beats Milky nearly to death out of sheer jealousy, Shaun is brought back to reality and disgusted once again by his racist ideology. There is then a montage of Britain winning he Falklands war, and the loss of life compared to how small a victory it actually was. After this Shaun is sat in bed looking at a picture of his dad when his mum walks in and tries to console him about Milky who is in hospital. She takes Shaun’s hand as they talk about memories of his father, and then there is a cross dissolve to to beach where Shaun goes to throw the St George’s Cross form Combo into the sea.
No non-diegetic sound over the scene where combo beats Milky, and very few edits away- disturbing and visceral, audience can only hear Shaun’s scared sobs
There is no doubt this film knows what it wants and audience to feel- never once open to interpretation but always against nationalism
Closing montage is far more focused on the political aspect of British life instead of the social and cultural like opening montage
All news reel footage, carefully selected by Shane Meadows
Tiny British flag on a wooden hut, only about a dozen people there to celebrate then contrasted by prisoner of war shivering and covered in mud, lines of body bags and piles of used weapons
Long shot of the battleship (navy historic symbol of British pride and nationalism)
Sailor kissing girlfriend, staged to look like that one picture
Cuts from montage back to narrative film, close up of a picture of Shaun’s dad
Shaun presented as childish and small next to his mum, who comes into his room to console him about Milky and remember Shaun’s dad
There is a cross dissolve from Shaun holding his mum’s hand to the sky as the camera then tilts down to the beach when Shaun walks into the shot
His outfit is now more indie skinhead than racist skinhead
Shane Meadows making it clear Combo’s ideology was wrong- non diegetic emotional composed score, tracking shot of Shaun as he walks down to the beach, crescendo in music as he throws the flag into the sea (expressive and symbolic, not naturalistic performance)
The camera pans around to Shaun’s face and the last shot is a close up where he breaks the fourth wall- holding the audience accountable and even accusatory of what can happen when people have these beliefs